Vine Street School renovations could begin in Bridgeton by year's end

BRIDGETON -- The first step in turning the dilapidated Vine Street School into a new home for the county prosecutor's office could begin before the end of the year, according to the architecture firm currently overseeing the project.

Anthony Giorgio, secretary-treasurer of architecture firm Lammey and Giorgio, said Wednesday that a proposed design for the renovated Vine Street School, which will need an extensive overhaul due to years of neglect, has been submitted to the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office for review.

"We're completed the schematic design phase of the project. The next phase is to stabilize the building," he said. "We're hoping that we'll be able to start the stabilization work before the winter."

Stabilizing the building will involve "butting up" the whole building and sealing up all openings.

A large hole in the roof of the building has resulted in extensive water damage.

"It's going to take at least six months to dry the building out," Giorgio said.

After stabilization is complete, the building will essentially be gutted.

The exterior of the building will be restored to how it appeared circa 1900 when the building was actively being used as an elementary school.

The building was vacated as a school in 1974 and used as a storage facility until it was acquired by the county around 1985.

There has been much talk since that time of renovating the structure, but little actual progress on the project -- all the while, the building being considered an eyesore and a safety risk.

With the county having agreed to find a new facility for the prosecutor's office in 2005, freeholders now consider the Vine Street School to be a good fit for the prosecutor after abandoning a plan to build a new home for the prosecutor's office on Route 49 near the county administration building.

Because of space needs, the prosecutor's office is expected to continue occupying some of its current facilities even after the Vine Street School is renovated.

A 300-car parking garage, which will be available for public use, is included in the Vine Street School renovations, which are currently expected to cost $11 million to $12 million to complete.

Giorgio said he hopes to have the project complete by late 2010, early 2011.

In the past, Lammey and Giorgio has done extensive work across New Jersey, including renovations at Rowan University, the governor's mansion in Princeton and Fort Mott in Salem County.

Freeholder Jane Jannarone, liaison to the county department of public property and personnel, said Wednesday that, in choosing the firm, freeholder were impressed with the company's ability to negotiate the red tape of the state historic preservation office, which has to give approvals to any changes made to properties listed as "historically significant."

"One of the ladies with the company worked for the state Historic Preservation Office. Because of her knowledge, Lammey and Giorgio were the only firm that told us they did not think we would need a lot of the approvals that the other firms thought we would need," she said.

Giorgio said he is confident, based on informal discussions with state officials, that the project would be able to get the approvals it needed.

The project has been a long time in coming.

From the county's perspective, it couldn't come sooner.

"I think renovating this building will have a very positive impact on the neighborhood," said Jannarone, a real estate professional. "As it sits now, in its current state, it's not making a very good impact. This project will have a two-fold benefit. There will be a cost savings to get the prosecutor's office in there, as opposed to building a new facility. At the same time, it will benefit a blighted neighborhood."